Letters to the Editor: 12/2

I read the “Struggling to Fit in” article, and I feel good about this story because sometimes, I feel like I dont fit in either. I am an ESL student, and I am from Vietnam, and I dont speak very well. It is difficult because some people can’t understand me, and I can’t say the things I want to say–sometimes, I dont have the words, but the longer I am here, I’ve met more friends. Maybe it will get easier.

Sang Tran, freshman

Dear Editor,

I read your article on “The Meaning of Popularity” and… I believe everyone you interviewed was almost perfect for this article. Someone with a different sexuality, type of clothing to wear, weight, being new at school and someone with different socializing views. …I also thought that on the back of the page with the article over Jordan Southerland was phenomenal. I thought it was so good because he descirbes popularity perfectly.

I also thought this article was good because it is a good reference to show popular people what it would be like in the unpopular kids’ shoes.

If you wouldn’t have written this, I believe a lof of popular students would be loooking at the “nerds” in the same way they used to. For instance, I am not popular or un-popular, but somewhere in the middle, and now, I look at those kids who have different thoughts, clothing styles, and weights differently than I did before after I read this article. I see that they are human, just like me, the popular kids, and anyone else in this school. I think you did an outstanding job on trying to make this school a better place because if there weren’t popular people or unpopular people, everyone could be happy.

Nathan Bagby, freshman

Dear Editor,

I would have to say that banning yoga pants is a bad idea. Outside of the self-expression, we have other things in school to worry about. I personally don’t wear yoga pants, but from one person to the next, if you ask them, they would probably say the same thing. I think it shouldn’t be that big of a deal. People should be able to express their ways through clothes, hair, piercings and even tattoos. I think we worry too much about being politically correct than we focus on what’s important in school. …People should be free to do whatever they feel. Honestly, if someone told me I couldnt express myself the way I wanted to, I would do it anyways to rebell against the rules, and be who I really am, not what someones else wants because in their opinion it isn’t appropriate. Everybody has their opinions, that doesn’t mean either of them are right, it just…means whoever can be more persuasive will win the argument. Some argue they’re not appropriate, some argue, ‘who cares it’s my life.’ I argue focus on your own life, don’t say what’s right and what’s wrong just to make it a rule.

Mandy Burnside, freshman

Dear Editor,

I agree with the article, “Media Bias Sways Potential Voters.” Media has a ginormous effect on these potential voters. Any news station, or anywhere anyone talks politics is going to be biased, even news stations that don’t claim to be biased (for example CNN) are ever so slightly biased. Honestly, I think the media goes way too far when describing an opposing party’s candidate. I’m more left wing than anything, and even I can say that people have made republican Ron Paul seem like he’s just a random person from the misinformed audience that presidential candidates let debate with them. Even if you switch your TV to a popular teen station like MTV around election time, they are even trying to sway viewers to the left.

There is a point when we have to stop playing the blame game, and that time is now. Campaign ads really are just an attempt to turn you into a mindless zombie, always following their views. People, not just adults, but everyone, should start thinking for themselves; ignore the bias you see in just about everything you see, and start thinking what you think really happened. If people in any country allow higher-ups to start thinking for them, democracy is gone. America was built on the belief of democracy, not the belief that one or two parties should have absolute power. If you dont agree with the major two parties, so be it, at least you’re thinjking for yourself.